The Corcoran's gilded salon doré, an 18th-Century room that was once part of the Regal Parisian Residence Hotel Clermont, gleams behind a Pamella Roland taffeta dress $2,695.

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"On the night of President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball in January of 1961, the weather was cold and frightful. But party-goers agreed first lady Jacqueline's dress -- a sleeveless ivory silk sheath she’d designed herself and had made at Bergdorf Goodman -- was delightful in both its simplicity and elegance. Such all-American, clean-lined ballgowns by homegrown names like Oleg Cassini and Halston came to define her Grace Kelly-goes-to-Washington panache. In a letter to Cassini detailing her wardrobe wants, Kennedy said she wanted, "some pretty, long evening dresses suitable for big official dinners. You know the kind I like: a covered-up look … simple and young."

This winter, the same classicism championed by Kennedy also swooped onto store racks, bringing "are-we-in-Athens?" Grecian-draped gowns, strapless column dresses of retro silk shantung and the return of slightly covered-up necklines. (They almost echo the Beaux Arts grandeur of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, where this story was shot.) Such styles seem ideal for holiday gala-goers and those headed to an inaugural ball on Jan. 20. "Designers and customers will always love Jackie O," says boutique owner Harriet Kassman, who has been selling fete wear to Washingtonians since 1941. "If they put on a gown and it’s not embellished, they think of her."

But don’t expect to show up at a formal event and see everyone outfitted in vintage. "The looks are Old World, but they have new twists," says Liberty Jones, spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus in Chevy Chase (which is, helpfully, operating a last-minute inaugural gown, accessory and tuxedo shop at the Mandarin Oriental from Jan. 16-20). "Norman Ambrose is doing a bunch of dresses in brocade and old lace, but they have modern shapes." Also decidedly new millennial: Roland Mouret's stark, one-shouldered dress in buttercup yellow and Carmen Marc Valvo's strapless column of crinkled ruffles in a bronze hue.

If you're presidential party-hopping, there are a few fashion do's and don'ts to keep in mind. "Wear comfortable shoes, since you'll be standing a lot," says Kassman. And since inaugural balls tend to get crowded, leave the Scarlett O'Hara-wide skirt for another enchanted evening. When in doubt, ask yourself, "What would Jackie do?" "She was always so simple, she never wore a garnish," says Kassman. Because really, the star of the night (besides the new president), should be you, not some overly sequined frock."

-- Jennifer Barger